I was wondering if I need polorized glasses? Do they really make a difference? Do they help when trying to navagate the river while wading? If they are a must, which ones are good. I have seen them at walmart for $10-$15 bucks but i have also seen the ones in the Orvis catalog for $250. Anyone out there that can give me some advice? Thanks

Yes they are helpful. They help you see the contours of the river bottom and improve your ability to spot fish. Use the search function in the bar above, right next to 'new posts' and type in sunglasses. There was a recent thread in which people talked about their favorites. Personally I got a good deal on some Natives and am happy with them.

They're very helpful for seeing into the water, and also for cutting glare off the water even when you're just looking across the water.

Are the $250 glasses better than the $15 variety? Yes. Enough to justify the extra cost? Not to me, but that's a personal decision. As often as sunglasses get dropped overboard, sat on, stepped on, etc., I can't see spending hundreds on them. For me, the cheap ones work well enough.

They won't help you see better in murky water, so don't expect that. They can't hurt, and after wearing cheapo clip-ons for years, I finally plunked down $450 for prescription polarized sunglasses. That was mostly because I bought a convertible last Fall, however.

I have been able to see fish with polarized sunglasses that were invisible when the sunglasses were removed. You're still going to have to look carefully, but they do help. You'll still need to know where the likely spots are on a stream, and be careful not to get too close while using your new X-Ray vision goggles.

Being able to see the bottom while wading is a great help. I've posted that my wife slipped and broke her ankle two years ago, and that was in less than a foot of water, so it's not just the deeper spots that pose a danger.

A pair of good polarized sunglasses are as important as to have a fly on your fly line.
I have a beaten $12 Berkley Polarized Sunglasses that I often put on for running. along side the Oakley. They'll do the trick as well.

What you spend will depend on what your willing to spend! I'm with runningfish as I have a good pair of Oakleys as well as a cheaper pair of Berkleys. Both do the job. Being a contact lens wearer and always outside I'm never without sunglasses and I always have an extra pair in the car. It's amazing how even in low light at the end of the day how much more you can see in the water with the polarized! Many times even at dusk I can spot a follow up with shades on that I otherwise would not have seen!

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